– Lawyer Valerie Heppel was frustrated last month as she struggled to defend inmate Gary Wimbush against charges that he assaulted a corrections officer at a Philadelphia city prison. The District Attorney’s office had a video of the incident, but had not yet reviewed it.

– Just a week before he leaves office, Gov. Tom Corbett gave a parting gift Tuesday: He signed five execution warrants and scheduled March lethal injection dates for five Pennsylvania inmates sitting on death row.

– Armed with a new state law, pro-gun groups have stepped up their attack on municipal firearms ordinances in Pennsylvania, with the National Rifle Association suing Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Lancaster over gun-control measures each has passed.